On Christmas Day, our Churches will be looking beautiful. I think of all the decorations, the lights, the Christmas tree, the Nativity. I think of all the people that will be in the Church. I think of the moment when the Baby Jesus will be placed in the manger in the Nativity. I can’t wait.
As I reflect on that, I also think of our hearts and souls. Is it not true that the beauty we find in our Churches at Christmas is a manifestation or an expression of the beauty of our hearts and souls?
Our Churches can be decorated but if the soul is not prepared, is not made to look beautiful for Jesus, then our decoration is not complete, then the beauty of our Churches is not complete. Christmas Confession is a sincere and concrete way of truly making our hearts beautiful for Baby Jesus. But not only that, a beautiful heart is a gift I can offer to all the people I’ll meet in the Church at Christmas. Imagine what will happen during the sign of peace: I’ll give a gift of my heart (already made beautiful by Jesus at the Confessional) to the people
around me. I’ll take that to my family after Mass. It is indeed a powerful sign of
reconciliation. I only need to do my own small part and Jesus will do the rest.
This week, we have an insert containing a powerful message by Bishop Richard Gagnon: the President of the Canadian Bishop’s Conference. I hope you’ll make time to read it. A few lines really struck me regarding reconciliation: (4th paragraph…. until 7th line ending with ‘world’). To help
us prepare, I have included in the 4th page an Examination of Conscience
Dear Friends, may we remember always that Confession is an act of love for God and for neighbor in which I must ask myself again and again:
- Have I given Jesus everything about me: my heart, body, all my desire, all my hope? Is He the Center of my life?
- Is love the number one thing in my dealing with my neighbor?
- Is the seeking of God’s Kingdom the number one pursuit of my soul? God loves us and the Church exists to help the world know that God loves them. And for those who are far away from Him, to know that He will never forget them. (Paraphrasing Pope Francis)